ILLINOIS The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe (+1 Records) Thursday May 14, 2009 words_jill hilbrenner
Being impatient won’t get you anywhere with Illinois, the (ironically) Pennsylvania-based band that decided to release its third “album” as a set of set of six video-accompanied EPs over six months. But from banjo-strumming-on-a-stump folk to pleasantly catchy synth, the 20 tracks on “The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe” back up Illinois’ status as the possible Wilco of 2009.
Hints of the White Stripes and old-school Modest Mouse ring through with Chris “Arch” Archibald’s group, though what’s more surprising is that the first new love-or-loss track starts with oppressive, futuristic chords that wouldn’t be out of place on “808s and Heartbreak.” And yet the diversity worked – or at least The Kooks must have thought so, since they took Illinois on tour. “There’s this great big world out there I want to share you with,” sings Archibald. Surely, there’ll be plenty who want to partake.
